Hoenn Frontier
by BlackStarZX
Summary: Taking place after the Sinnoh League, Ash Ketchum is out of options. That is, until a a familiar, portly man invites him to compete in the brand-new Hoenn Frontier! With his friends by his side, he will lose. He will win. He will learn lessons that will change his life. Contains minor shipping at first, but grows stronger as story progresses.
1. Here we Come!

**Sup guys! I, Black Star, shall be your host for this second story!**

**I know what you might be thinking: "Will this story be in any way similar to his 'Awake' story? The answer is no. This is entirely different.**

**You see, 'Awake' is set in a world the Pokémon creators have never even ventured. A place filled with smog, evilness and death. This story is something that could actually happen; if Unova had never happened. It's very characteristic, and I try to make Ash look like the master he so richly deserves. But not too much; he will lose and win, just like the anime. In fact, that's one reason I loved the TV show so much; It's not the cliché "Oh Ash Ketchum is undefeatable, then he almost loses at the last battle but something miraculous happens and he takes home the gold hahaha!" crap. No, he loses some and wins some; looks like an idiot at times, is very mature at times. I'm a follower of Awesome but Not Invincible Ash, as you can see. So in case you lost me, this is a summary: Ash is almost exactly the same as the Anime (Minus Unova) but just a little more mature. A will eventually see a little romance, however slow it is.**

**Ages:**

**Ash: 15**

**Brock: 20**

**May: 13/14-ish**

**Max: 10/11-sh**

**Any other characters that come up, I will describe.**

**One last thing; if you're scared that 'Awake' is on hiatus (I don't even know what that means, but I'm pretty sure it means the same thing as 'on hold'…), read my bio. Oh, and this is not an AdvanceShipping story! I don't hate it, but I don't see the point in writing another shipping when I have one already planned…**

**With those words said, on to the story! Huzzah!**

'Telepathy'

'_Thinking'_

"Speech"

(I'll mention if it's PokeSpeech, or if I use it at all…)

**DISCLAIMER: Warning: Pointless Disclaimer ahead.**

* * *

'Hoenn Frontier'

A Pokémon Fan Fiction Story

By BlackStarZX

**Chapter One: Here we Come!**

There was a big difference between a Pokémon Master and a Pokémon Trainer. You knew what a Pokémon Trainer was; the type of person that battled everyone in their sight, taking on the never-ending challenges, meeting lots of new Pokémon and People along the way.

No one knew what the heck a Pokémon Master was.

Sure, there have been the theories. The 'grand ideas'. Even a Champion couldn't define a Pokémon Master. So how was anyone supposed to claim this supposed 'Pokémon Master' title when no one even knew how to describe it?

These thoughts were one of the very many that played through Ash Ketchum's head right now.

"_What was I thinking? How can a Pokémon Trainer even acquire the title; by catching them all? I don't buy it…The very thought is impossible! What about coming in first for every Tournament?"_ Ash chuckled quietly at that thought. _"Well, I better hope that's not what it means; if so, I've already failed!" _Suddenly slapping himself, Ash focused on the problem at hand. _"Ugghhh….why does Tobias have to have a stinkin' Latios?! It's not fair! Then again, neither did him having a Darkrai…ah, well, nothing to do about it. What should I do now?"_

Coming back from the Sinnoh League, Ash had looked into all the nearby regions' competitions. There had been none available for the next three months. Infuriated and depressed, Ash had stayed home for almost an entire month; still training, but not traveling. Although, he had to admit; a nice, familiar bed every night was a definite plus.

But that same ache came to him; the ache that longed for adventure each day, a new trainer to face, a new Pokémon to meet. He missed it all! What was the point, however, if he couldn't compete?

"_Hmm…you need to think, Ash, think! What have you not compete in? Contests?"_ An immediate NO stood out in his mind. _"As much as contests look entertaining, they would not be the same as gyms. I need REAL competing, not flashy shows with flashy Pokémon…" _Wrapped in his thoughts, Ash did not hear the door open slightly, letting Pikachu in.

"Pika pi? Pi-chu!" Trying to get his friends attention, Pikachu slightly jolted Ash with a thundershock. His trainer had been out of it for a long time now. Sure, the training had continued to be rigorous…but his heart hadn't been into it, as if his mind was wandering off in a completely new direction. It didn't bode well with Pikachu. Ash **never **thought about stuff in general!

Shaking himself out of his reverie, the trainer rubbed his head while replying sheepishly, "Hehe, sorry Pikachu…I got kinda lost in my thoughts there."

"Pika! Chu, Pikachu!" (That's what worries me!) (**A/N: Ash and Pikachu have been together for so long, they can have somewhat of an understanding between the two. They don't 'talk' talk to each other; they read other through facial expressions, movement, and voice. This is my only exception.)**

"What do you mean by **that**?!" exclaimed Ash rather loudly. Sure, he tended to rush into things. But he still thought things over! Right?...Right?

Pikachu sighed. It was hopeless. Ash, however caring, kind, and gentle he was to others, he was still a thick-headed idiot numbskull at times.

"The problem is, Pikachu, is that we don't know where to go! We've been all over the place. I don't want to travel unless I have a purpose; at times, that's the only reason I get up in the morning."

This conversation abruptly ended when they heard Delia Ketchum, his mom, yelling at him from downstairs. "ASH! Tracey is here with a message from Prof. Oak!"

This changed things up. Sure, Tracey and he had become good friends while living in Pallet; but messages from the Professor were unusual. Making sure to grab his hat and belt of active Pokémon (he made sure to always have them after the "Flash Incident") and started heading downstairs. The first thing he noticed was his Mom at the doorway with a somewhat quizzical look on her face. She had no idea why Tracey was here either. And speaking of Tracey, where was he? "Tracey just knocked on the door, and I found him panting and sweating at the doorstep. He told me to tell you that Prof. Oak wanted to see you right away; said it was urgent. With that, he sprinted off back to the Lab. It was all very strange. Do you know anything about this?" asked a very confused Delia.

Ha had NO idea why Tracey was so weird, and why he left before he saw Ash. It must have been quite important.

Ash promptly started heading out to the lab. Halfway there, he started sprinting hard. Looking back on it, he had no idea why. It was almost as if his mind knew what was coming before he did, and wanted to confirm its suspicion as soon as possible.

Arriving at Prof. Oak's lab, he didn't even have time to knock; Tracey opened it before he could. His face looked like it was holding back an enormous grin; however, it wasn't completely succeeding. "Ash! Good! Come in quickly; the Professor wants to talk to you about…something that came up." When he had started to tell him that last part, it looked like his lips wanted to betray him and say something else. Of course, Ash didn't notice this. He was already making his way inside. Tracey was thankful for this, and continued: "He's in the back room, on the phone. He wanted you here as quick as possible. Oh, and, uh…sorry for leaving your house so early, Ash. I didn't want to wait for you, because this per-!" Tracey quickly shut his mouth. He didn't want to be the one to ruin it.

Walking in the back room, Ash was completely worried. What did the Professor want with him? Was it good or bad? Sure, the "Flash Incident" made him winces at even a mention, but that didn't mean the Professor would call him in; right? As he entered the room, he saw the Professor talking on the phone…with a familiar face on the screen.

"…sure? Think it's too early?"

"No…Wait, is that him?"

Turning around, Oak had a grin on his face when he saw who was behind him. "Ahhhh, Ash! Glad you could make it. I was just talking to one of your old…well…acquaintances." Ash peered over Oak's shoulder and saw a portly, smiling man. He wore sunglasses and a flower-printed Hawaiian shirt.

"Scott!" He was the last person Ash had expected to see. What was he doing here? He had already beaten the Battle Frontier, and he never accepted the Frontier position..."What are you doing talking to the Professor?" he inquired.

"I'll give you some time to chat." Said the Professor. He left the room, leaving Ash to talk with the famous Battle Frontier owner.

"Looking for you, Ash." Scott chuckled seeing the surprised look on Ash's face. "You see, my Battle Frontier in Kanto has been quite successful, ever since you took it a year and a half ago, we have grown. There have been many challengers – most only got to Anabel, mind you – but none have completed it. Deciding that I needed more challengers, and new challenges, I made a new branch in Hoenn. Ash, I am inviting you to compete in my Hoenn Frontier!"

For a few seconds, Ash's mind went into shock. A new Frontier? A new reason for traveling again?! Was this even happening? Looking over at Pikachu, he saw that his best friend was also shocked. The answer too their problems – gone. Just like that.

"Scott, will it be anything like the last one?" Ash quickly asked, shaking out of his reverie.

Chuckling, the portly man answered, "In some ways. For a first, the Kanto Frontiers' symbols indicated the virtues of a trainers. The symbols now indicate what a trainer must face in his life. Also, the Brains are all brand-new trainers who I have watched for a while. They are all tough challenges. I'm sure you could beat them, though. If you tried hard enough. I've watched you on television, Ash. You have improved. This is why I'm inviting you to compete. This challenge just opened a week ago; so far, only three trainers have been invited, including you. One of the others has just completed the first Brain; after two unsuccessful attempts. The other one is still on her way. Before you ask, no, you do not know any of them. Will you come and compete, Ash? I'm sure you'll have a blast."

The raven-haired trainer's eyes were filled with glee. The Battle Frontier on Kanto had been an amazing journey. A brand new one in Hoenn? This was insane! But first…"What do you think, Pikachu? You know I can't make the final decision without you."

Looking at his trainer in disbelief, Pikachu nodded. Of course he would say yes! Ash has known him for long enough.

"We accept"

"Pika-chu!"

"That's great! I somehow knew you would accept, so I already booked you a cabin on the S.S. Tempest. It's leaving in three days. Until then, figure out which Pokémon you want to bring, whether you want to go alone or not, and how to get to the next facility. I'll tell you where it is in Petalburg City. You'll see why when you get there. Call me once you get into the Pokemon Center; the Nurse will know my number. Until then, see you later!" With that, Scott promptly ended the call.

"**YESSSSS!**" Screamed Ash, his pent-up energy released. He had a brand new challenge waiting for him! He needed to get a few things together, though.

'_Of course, I'll bring Pikachu…But whom else? I will definitely bring out Charizard and Sceptile a few times…they are my powerhouses. For now, I'll take a variety….'_

Just then, Prof. Oak entered the room. "I can tell you have accepted the challenge, Ash. I'm happy for you. However, you need to choose your Pokémon. So what will it be?" he inquired.

After a bit more thinking, Ash still couldn't make up his mind. "Could you give me a day or two, Professor? Scott said the ferry wouldn't leave until three days, so I have some time."

"That's perfectly acceptable. Just make sure to let me know when you make your decision, OK?"

"No problem!"

With that, Ash started to leave the lab. Then Tracey was suddenly next to him, asking him if he accepted the challenge or not.

"What? Of course! And how did you know?"

"You know me, Ash! I observe. Also, I was the one to pick up the phone. The minute I saw Scott's face, I knew it was for you. Do you know who you're going to bring with you?"

"I was thinking about getting the original Hoenn group together. Brock, May and Max were my original thoughts. We'll see. Do you want to come, Tracey?"

"What?" Tracey had a surprised look on his face, "No no no, that's not what I meant when I asked you. I still have work to do here at the lab. But I appreciate the offer. I need to get going now; talk to you tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

With that, Ash started walking back to his house, many ideas going through his mind…

* * *

The minute the trainer walked into the house, his Mom realized that something was different than when he had left. "Ash! You sure have a spring in your step!" Delia commented. "What did Prof. Oak need?"

"Mom, I need to get ready for traveling again. I'm going to the Hoenn region!"

"But I thought you already competed there. They aren't holding another one, are they?" his Mom mused.

"Nope. Scott, the man who introduced me to the Battle Frontier, started up a new Frontier in Hoenn. He invited me to compete!" he exclaimed happily.

"I'm so happy for you! I'll make you your favorite meal to celebrate." His mother smiled.

"YES!"

* * *

That night, Ash was still thinking.

'_Alright, I have four so far, including Pikachu. Glalie, Heracross, and Sceptile…two from Hoenn, one from Johto…Should I include a Pokémon from Sinnoh? Maybe…Whatever. I'll think about it in the morning. Still lots to be done before I leave…_' With that, Ash fell asleep.

* * *

_The Next Day…_

"..to be there ASAP! Talk to you soon!"

"Thanks, Brock. Bye!" Ash ended the call.

It was 10:00 A.M. Ash had woken up, eaten breakfast, and started calling his friends. Brock had accepted immediately. Sure, he wanted to become a doctor…But the Doctor Academy didn't start for another six months. Brock hoped the Frontier wouldn't last that long.

Next thing to do was to call Max and May. He had considered surprising them…but they needed a heads-up. Just in case. "Let's hope they're home…" Ash muttered to Pikachu.

The phone rang a few times, and then a face with glasses a little too big for it appeared on the screen.

"Ash? Is that you?!" Max asked.

"Sure is! How have you been doing?"

"Pikachu, pika!"

"Great to see you're doing well too, Pikachu! I became an official trainer about six months ago. I've gotten five badges already!"

"Nice job, Max! But why are you at home?"

"Because I had to battle my Dad for a gym badge. You caught me at a good time."

"That's great. What Pokémon do you have?" inquired an excited Ash.

"A full team. My starter was Treeko, but it recently evolved into a Grovyle. My Dad also gifted me a Slakoth, which I have since evolved into Vigoroth. I also captured that Ralts we met on the way to Sootopolis. You remember, right? I caught a Carvanha about three days ago, my hardest catch yet. I currently have a Lairon, caught as an Aron. Finally, I'm a proud owner of a Vibrava."

"What a team! I'm glad to hear that you're becoming a great Pokémon trainer."

"Thanks, Ash! But there must have been another reason for calling. What's up?"

"Well, Scott called, and introduced me to the Hoenn Battle Frontier! I was wondering if you and May wanted to come with Brock and I. Speaking of which, is May home from Johto yet?" wondered Ash.

"Holy Mew! I need to come with you for sure! May is upstairs; got home about a week before I did. She lost the Grand Festival to Solidad. But she beat Drew, so that made the lost not as bad. Let me go get her…"

Ash heard Max screaming for his sister; apparently, "get" was a pretty loose term. A teenage brunette suddenly intruded the screen.

"Hiya Ash! What's going on, Pikachu? I'm glad to see you two! Did you just call to say hi? Max is looking really jittery right now, what did you tell him?"

"Good to see you too, May. I was wondering if you and Max would like to travel with Brock and I when we come back to the Hoenn region. Scott just offered me a chance in his new Hoenn Frontier; I accepted, and now I want to know if you're willing to travel Hoenn again."

May screamed in excitement. "Oh, you bet! I love to travel! After Johto, I was wondering where I should travel next; but then here you come along talking about a new reason to explore Hoenn some more. I need to show you some of my new Pokémon that I got. But I don't know about contests, though…I already compete in Hoenn, and it's no fun without rivals…"

"Well, you can make up your mind later. Meet Brock and I in Rustboro City; that's where the boat is dropping us off. Then we will walk back together to Petalburg, so we can catch up. Until then!" Ash waved at the screen.

"Later Ash!" the siblings said together. With that, the screen went black.

Ash sighed. It was all set; the original Hoenn group would be traveling together. He had decided what last two Pokémon to bring while on the phone; they would be perfect. Ash started heading up to the lab to claim the Pokémon he wanted for his Journey. The trainer would be switching them out, of course, over time. No need to stay with all the same Pokémon.

Time to challenge the Hoenn Frontier.

* * *

**HOLY FREAKING CRAP. This chapter was much harder to write than I originally planned! I kept thinking of new stuff for my **_**other **_**story, but I forced myself to stay on task. I also recently received Portal 2 for my birthday, and have been obsessed with that. 'Staying on task' is a lot harder than I thought!**

**Like I said, May will be one of the main characters, but she isn't a romantic interest in this story. I'm still wondering about contests and stuff…I need to think about that.**

**Anyway, I'm happy to announce this done. I will try to post a new chapter by next Sunday, but that probably won't happen. I'm challenging myself to write larger chapters the longer I go on. Ugh, so tough. I also realized afterwards that I neglected to mention Pikachu at some points. I'll make sure to keep our favorite yellow mouse consistent for now on.**

**That's about it. Read, review, don't flame, give me some pointers. I appreciate it.**

**Cheers!**


	2. The Road to Science

**BlackStar here. This is the second chapter of my 'Hoenn Frontier' story. **

**Man, I need to tell ya'. This is much harder than I thought. Making Max's Pokémon was **_**very **_**hard without being influenced by the show. It seemed cliché to give him only Pokémon he befriended on his journey; so I gave him some of my own. I hope you don't hate me for it.**

**Another thing…I'm becoming freaking nocturnal because of these stories. I stay up at night just to write, because I have no time during the day. Updates won't be happening as quickly anymore; I'm TRYING to keep up an average once-a-week, but it most likely won't keep up. I also recently recruited a Beta Reader, one of my best friends, so my writing skill should increase.**

**Last note. All the Hoenn Brains are people from my own imagination. They **_**do **_**have similarities to the Kanto Frontier Brains, but not entirely the same. Don't like them?**

**Deal with it.**

**On that happy note, let's start the second chapter! Huzzah!**

**Disclai- What? Who am I? Where am I? What was I saying? I don't know anything about this 'Pokémon' you speak of! What? No, I don't own this whatever-it-is!**

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Road to Science**

The last couple days have been hectic. The boat was, of course, great. Ash and Brock were able to catch up about what they had been doing for the last month. The trainer explained to the soon-to-be doctor about the challenge; and who else would be coming. Brock was excited to hear that his old traveling pals would be joining them again.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was playing on the deck with the other Pokémon. The captain had allowed Pokémon to roam the deck as long as they didn't start getting rough, and were kind to all passengers.

The boat ride to Hoenn took up two days. Over the course, Ash battled multiple people, made new friends, and found out something rather interesting about the new Frontier. Apparently, the Brains were people who had all been acclaimed-yet-unnoticed trainers. All of them had taken up the Kanto Frontier; only one had defeated it, and the rest all had defeated at least 4-6 brains. However, they were such strong and determined trainers; Scott had offered each of them a Brain position. Obviously, they had all accepted.

This made Ash even more stoked! He was about to battle with some of the toughest trainers on the planet; each with their own battling style.

The two Pokémon Ash had decided to travel with were Buizel and Staraptor. They were both excited to see a brand new region. At the mention of increasingly tough battles, it made them ecstatic. Ash was hoping that with the inclusion of two Pokémon from a different region would throw off the Brains. Of course, this was only a hope. Most likely, the Brains would have plenty of Sinnoh Pokémon themselves.

Once the duo had gotten to land, they met up with Max and May. Max was dressed in a dark-blue sweatervest, with a white undershirt. May was in the same outfit when Ash had last seen her in Sinnoh.

Exchanging pleasantries, the four had made their way to the Pokémon Center. After staying the night, the four started back on the way to Petalburg. By now, Ash had told the siblings about the Hoenn Frontier, and how Scott would be meeting them. After an entire day of travel, the sun was about to set; and Petalburg was still nowhere in sight.

"So, May, when will I see those new Johto Pokémon of yours?" asked Ash for the millionth time.

"I told you, not until we get home!"

Sighing, Ash just kept taking this maturely. Patience was one virtue he did not have; however, he decided to be nice to May and stop asking her. After all, they hadn't seen each other for a while.

Max broke the silence, "Ash, we need to have a battle! I've been begging to ask you since we met up again, but I didn't think it were the time to ask. When do you think the time would be good?" he exploded. How long he had been holding that in…no one knew.

"How about when we get to Norman's gym? It would be a good place to-" the trainer was suddenly interrupted.

"Well, you three won't have to wait long! We are almost there. Ah…look!" Brock pointed over the hill. They could just now see the familiar buildings of Petalburg City.

"Well! It looks like your navigating skills have improved, Ash! We got back in record time!" teased May. Last time, it had taken them forever.

"Yeah! We got this! Race ya', Max!" Ash took off, leaving the rest in the dust.

"Hey! No fair!" Max started sprinting after him.

Brock and May shared a glance. Same old, same old.

* * *

"Wow! You two are **slowpokes**!" Max and Ash yelled together. The sun was just about gone; the sky now dominated with stars. However, the group had made it before nightfall. At least Max and Ash had. Brock and May had been taking their time. Now, they were inside the Pokémon Center. Ash was anxious to make that call to Scott…

"You two went too fast! What's the big rush, huh? Don't you want to go to our house first?" asked Max's sister defensively. However, Ash didn't care anymore. He was just glad they were here finally.

"Let's go inside now; I really want to call Scott!" Ash said, marching to the phone booth. Once he learned the right number from Nurse Joy, he dialed the number. Within a few seconds, he saw Scott's face appear.

"Why hello, Ash. You got here pretty quickly." The large man started chuckling; and strangely, it seemed louder than normal. Ash didn't notice nor acknowledge it. But Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Hi Scott! So now that I'm here, what information do you need to tell me? More specifically, WHERE IS THE NEXT BRAIN?!" he screamed in excitement.

All he heard was that same laugh…"Well, why don't you pay attention more and talk to me face-to-face, huh, Ash?" he hung up the phone.

Ash almost went berserk, about to call Scott some very unfriendly names; until he saw who the man in the next room was. "Instead of charging in, Ash, maybe you could look around for once."

The entire group fell down anime-style, disappointed in their observing skills. Jeez, wasn't **this **a screw up.

"How long have you been here, Scott?" inquired Max. He was very disappointed in himself, being normally very observant.

"Oh, long enough" the Battle Frontier owner vaguely replied. "Anyway, now on to business. Ash, you were called here to challenge one of the toughest leagues in the world. By coming here, you accepted it. You first opponent, a man by the name of Thomas, resides about two miles east of Rinshin Town. It may seem small at first, but the laboratory extends far underground. You'll see when you get there. In case you're wondering, no, it's not a coincidence that the first Brain is so close. I made sure that challengers start in Petalburg, and the Frontier Facilities would appear in order after that. Just for a more organized setup. And you may be surprised by Thomas' battling style…"

However, Ash didn't care. "I'll beat them all! Watch out, Thomas, you got a battle coming your way!" you could almost _see _the competitive fire that has consumed Ash.

"I need to get going now. See you at the Battle Lab." said Scott.

"Bye Scott!" the group waved.

"According to the Pok**é**Nav, the Battle Lab is about a two day's walk from here," Max informed the others.

"All right, let's ge-" before Ash could say any more, Brock grabbed his collar.

"C'mon, Ash, why not go and say hi to Norman? May will also want us to see her new Johto Pokémon. What's so bad about that? You were dying to know on the way here!" Brock tried to convince him.

"That was out of pure boredom! I don't mean right now!"

"Well you are going whether you want to or not!" with that, May promptly send out Blaziken, who proceeded to carry Ash on his back. With much fighting, Ash finally gave in, and the griup headed towards Norman's Gym.

Once there, May led the group to the backyard. Almost immediately, five new Pokémon appeared in the bushes.

"Guys, these are some Pokémon I caught in Johto, and used throughout the region. First off is Ledian, my superstar…"

"Ledian!" with a graceful flip the Five Star Pokémon flew through the air.

"My Stantler, who has yet to fail me…"

"Stantler!" the Pokémon reared back on its hind legs, and it's antlers started to grow bright.

May suddenly started to panic. "ACK! Stantler! These are my friends! Don't worry about it; relax…" Calmed by May's words, the Stantler started to settle down. "He took a while to tame…although skittish, he has great battling potential. I frequently use him for contest battles. Oh, on to the other Pokémon now…"

A small, pink creature came out and started to hug May. "Flaaffy! Fla-Fla!" the Pokémon started to spark up, but then noticed another electric type that held its attention. Pikachu and Flaaffy started up a lively conversation.

"Flaaffy evolved from a Mareep during an important battle; she won the day for me. Next up is…Teddiursa, my last addition to the Johto team; although, not the last to show you guys…"

A Teddiursa came out, ignoring May (due to a lack of observation more than disobedience) and instantly joined the conversation with Flaaffy and Pikachu.

"He, ah…has some attention problems." muttered May. The others sweat dropped.

"Finally, my water type…SEAL!" With this, May ran to the water fountain, and grabbed a delighted Seal. It started clapping with its hands, and licked May's face. "She's an affectionate one." she laughed.

May put down the Seal, and started explaining a few things, "I realize that they should be with the Professor, but I asked for them to stay at my house as long as they were well cared for. So far, I've done a pretty good job. I also decided to bring my Johto Pokémon instead of my Hoenn; they need to travel more, and I feel this would be a good experience for them. Of course, Blaziken is still coming. I would never leave Blaziken, just like Pikachu!"

Ash, having finally settled down, agreed with this statement. He would _never_ trade his starter for anything else…**NEVER**. "That's great, May! Now, can we finally get this show on the road? I'm eager to find the Battle Lab!"

May gave him a mischievous smile, "Sure thing Ash…but you have to race me to the edge of town!" she started running off.

Surprising Max and Brock, Ash just sighed, then looked up with a smile of his own, "Ha! You won't win!" and bolted off himself. The remaining two just sighed; those two were just as competitive as ever. Brock, however, was even more disapointed. First Max, now May. Ash sure knew how to 'catch-up'.

* * *

It has been two days since they left Petalburg. Since then, the group had fully caught up, explaining in detail how their own adventures had gone, and bragging about whose was better. Of course, Ash and Brock had the more interesting adventures, with their tales of legendaries and whatnot. The most exciting thing that had happened to Max was when he was in Mauville, and a swarm of wild Skarmory had attacked. He, along with the rest of the town, was forced to go underground for three days while a few select trainers battled them. Eventually, however, Steven Stone came and sent them packing with his _own _steel-type Pokémon.

May described a slightly less action-packed adventure. When trying to get to the next town, a blizzard showed up and swept her into the ocean. Fortunately, a group of Dewgong came and saved her. That was when she met her Seal.

All the while, the four friends laughed, had fun, and took some well-deserved rest during the night. Max and May enjoyed the feeling of company again, and admitted that it was no fun traveling alone. Although both the siblings that received some company at one point or another, neither had traveled with a single person for the entire length.

This small adventure to the Battle Lab contained a few battles, a very-very-very far Salamance sighting (no one wanted to go sny closer, as awesome as it was, however…), and lots of arguing. Just like old times.

Coming up to the middle of the third day, the friends knew they were coming close. They had just passed Rinshin Town, and were heading east. They were making excellent progress, until a rather snotty trainer challenged Ash to a two-on-two battle. As rushed as they were, Ash never turned down a fight.

"Ha!" the trainer mocked. He was medium height, with a light build. He wore a white sweatshirt, and some brown pants. He had six Pokeballs on his belt. However, Ash knew never to underestimate by appearances; even if he **did **know that he was about to squash another bratty kid. "I bet I could go one-on-six and still win. Your Pikachu looks _so _weak; I bet the rest of your Pokémon are just like that! Hahaha!"

Ash grinned, always glad to beat up jerks like this, "Then you're in for a real surprise, kiddo! Let's see what you're saying after I whoop your team! I choose you, Glalie!" the ice-type appeared in a burst of light.

"Glaaaaaa!" the Pokémon yelled. However, the kid was not deterred; instead, he smiled.

"What a weird Pokémon. Looks like an ice-type; better go with Houndoom! Go!" with that, the howling Pokémon was released from his ball, and looked ready for a fight.

With Brock as a referee, the battle commenced. For the first five minutes, Ash was purely on the defensive, telling Glalie to roll and dodge. This started to anger the opponent; just as Ash planned. "Gah, why don't you fight like a _real_ trainer! Houndoom, go in close with an Iron Tail!"

The time was now to finish off the Houndoom. "Glalie, charge and Ice Beam in your mouth, and catch the tail with your teeth!"

This command surprised everyone. Catch an Iron Tail? Was that even possible for a Pokémon with such a small mouth? Their curiosity was satisfied when the Ice Beam protected Glalie from the attack, and Houndoom's tail was firmly stuck in his teeth. The opposing trainer gasped; how did his powerful attack get stopped with no repercussions? "Now Glalie, freeze it with a Blizzard!"

It was over for poor Houndoom. The sheer cold of the strong attack froze the hound from the insides out; knocked out in one hit. Ash was congratulating his Glalie when he noticed the other trainer with his head down. His ego had been popped like a balloon, thrown in front of a bus, and burned in an incinerator. He hadn't even scored one hit on the strong Glalie! What did this mean?

"I'm…I'm weak…I forfeit the match…" the trainer mumbled. Ash was shocked; where was that strong, confident voice? However, Ash knew the feeling just as well. Walking over, our hero put a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I've been traveling for a long time now; I would've been surprised if you defeated Glalie. He seems to have gotten stronger in his time at the lab! Just don't lose hope; keep that confidence in ya'! What do you say; finish the battle off strong?" he encouraged. The other trainer, surprised by the pep talk, looked up. Here this guy was, destroying him on the field, and then telling him not to give up. And just moments ago, he had been mocking the older boy!

Ash normally would have gloated for defeating a snobby brat, but the boy's attitude almost reminded him of himself. So sure of himself when up against a crazy-strong trainer, then getting wiped on the battlefield. He decided this kid needed a little booster. Besides; they had a battle to finish.

"Alright, fine. Let's see how well you do against my strongest Pokémon!" the confidence was back. Might as well finish what he started; go out with a bang, eh?

The boy wasn't the only ones surprised with Ash's behavior. May and Max were astounded that their normally-competitive friend had a soft spot towards energetic trainers. Brock, knowing him the longest, was not as surprised, and was able to explain to the siblings how Ash must have seen a little bit of himself in the boy.

Backing up to his spot, the opposing trainer send out his second Pokémon, "Let's do this, Grovyle!" A burst of light, and a well-built Grovyle stood proudly on the field. "Now Grovyle, this trainer has some really strong Pokémon; just do the best you got."

Officially impressed by this trainer's will to battle, Ash took out his own second Pokémon. "I look your Grovyle! Let's put him up against another evolution; go, Sceptile!" the final-form of Treeko rose up in all its glory. The sheer power could be felt in the air. "Tiiiiiile!" his Sceptile roared.

Right about then, Ash's Pokémon noticed his opponent, who had backed up in fear, yet whose eye's shone with determination. Sceptile approved.

"We'll start this off!" yelled the trainer, "Grovyle, Bullet Seed!"

"Let's give them no mercy, Sceptile! Use your own Bullet Seed!" Sceptile reared back and unleashed a more powerful version of the Grovyle's own Bullet Seed.

A minor explosion erupted when the Bullet Seed's collided, but Sceptile was much more powerful, and kept going. Fortunately for Grovyle, it was only a Bullet Seed; didn't do much damage. "It's ok Grovyle, keep going strong! Time to use out secret weapon; Fury Cutter!" Both Sceptile and Ash's eyes widened in surprise. A bug-type move?

Sceptile yelled in pain as Grovyle quickly slashed his back. It was unexpected; Bug was super-effective against Grass. Sceptile quickly put up his own Leaf Blade and blocked the next attack. Immediately, the two were set up in a duel of wills; and strength.

The outcome came as predicted; Sceptile, being stronger and more experienced, overcame Grovyle, and almost knocked it out. Ash thought he had it in the bag; until the trainer yelled out one last surprise, "Grovyle, use Bullet Cutter!" Wait, what?

Grovyle back flipped to escape from Sceptile, and went into a strange yet deadly routine. Grovyle would rush in, swipe with a Fury Cutter, then immediately retreat with a Bullet Seed. When Sceptile thought the younger Pokémon would stop, a second Fury Cutter would follow, with another Bullet Seed soon after. Sceptile had a rough time defending this; that is, until Ash yelled a command sure to stop the onslaught. "Sceptile, take the hits and charge Solar Beam!" Sceptile grinned in anticipation; even if Grovyle was a fellow grass-type, Solar Beam always did lots of damage. Along with this lovely package of power, Sceptile had a little surprise up his sleeve. The sunlight started to gather on his back.

"Sceeeeeeeppp…..TILE!"

Just as the boy was about to issue an all-out Fury Cutter while Sceptile was charging, Sceptile surprisingly didn't wait for a charge; he let it out immediately. Grovyle laid down in a mess, practically burned from the powerful Solar Beam. "Grovyle, return! Man, I don't know how you did it, but Sceptile really surprised us with that Solar Beam!"

"He surprised me too!" exclaimed Ash, "I see that my Hoenn Pokémon have been practicing while I was away! Now he can launch Solar Beams without having to charge!" Sceptile grinned and let out a victory shout. "It seems Sceptile enjoyed the battle."

Indeed he was. It was always good to teach some rowdy teenagers some respect; especially when they are strong. This particular Grovyle was no exception. It was, yet again, Sceptile approved.

"I just realized I never told you my name; I'm Matt Verchu, from Fortree Town. Your name is…?" Matt inquired.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. Why are you all the way out here?"

"Well, I wanted to see the new Battle Lab they put up, but it was closed. Said that it was "For Personnel Only". Too bad; I hear that Thomas, the Lab Technician, was really strong. But after our fight, I'm not so sure I could've beaten him!" he said.

"We are actually on the way to the Battle Lab too! Could you give us directions?" asked Brock, who previously was listening to the conversation.

"Sure! It's about a twenty-minute walk to the north from here; can't miss the big dome-like structure. It may not seem as big as it has sounded, but I've heard that most of the Lab is underground! I need to keep going; parents are probably waiting for me at Rinshin by now. It was nice battling you, Ash! Sorry for being such a snob!" Matt said as he walked off.

"Bye Matt! Good luck!" waved the group.

And so, with the battle out of the way, our hero's started walking north. Eventually, after what seemed like three hours (it was only twenty, but Ash started to get bored after ten), they spotted the Battle Lab.

Unimpressive at first glance, the low structure was painted a dark yellow, with large windows on the walls. The building was the shape of a large circle, with a telescope on the top. Without the telescope, and the big, red words saying "BATTLE LAB" along the rim, you might have thought this place to be a lonely home. The group started walking towards the door, when Pikachu's ears perked up. As if in a trance, Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and straight towards the building.

Unknown to Ash, Pikachu had tasted the metallic scent of thunder…_inside the building_. "Pikachu, wait up! I know you're excited, but can't you hold on?"

"Pika! Chuchu, Pikachu!"Pikachu was pointing towards the door, indicating to Ash for him to open it.

"Alright buddy, calm down. Guys, let's g insi-" he stopped short. The door was locked.

As soon as Ash touched the handle, an electrical shock was sent throughout his body. While not as powerful as Pikachu's, it definitely hurt. "AAAaaaAAaaaaaaaaaaAhhhhhHHHhh!" the shock finally finished. Ash laid down on the floor like his name…ash.

Before any of his friends could respond to this (rather bizarre) turn of events, a hidden latch opened up above the double-doors, and a TV monitor was attached to a rod. A face appeared on the screen, scaring everyone with its appearance. "Oh, sorry! Did I forget to take off the 'WARNING: ELECTRICAL' sign again?"

The face was a mess of brown, curly hair, which seemed to defy gravity. Deep, intelligent, green eyes were displayed prominently on the face, which disguised the madness in them; although good or bad was yet to be determined. The body attached to the head was wearing a long lab coat, with a black shirt underneath. The grin scared them. "Are any of you perhaps a boy by the name of Ash Ketchum?" the TV screen started to rotate, to get a full view of everyone. "No…no…are you Ash Ketchum? You look rather young for a Kanto Champion…" he mused.

Before Max could angrily reply, the TV Screen swindled downwards. "Oh, _you _must be Ash Ketchum! I'm terribly sorry for unintentionally frying you nearly to death…oh well. Come in, come in!" the doors opened automatically. Automatic doors with handles? Wait…what? "Welcome to the Battle Lab, where good, crazy, evil and everything in between is created! My name is Thomas, and I shall e your first Frontier match in the Hoenn Region!"

* * *

**There you go! Thomas, the insane(ly), smart Frontier Brain is destined to battle Ash Ketchum. He's **_**so **_**much fun to write for. Almost like the humorous Wheatley from 'Portal 2', the crazy (and lovable) Claptrap from 'Borderlands 2', and the brain of an Alakazam into one man. All these 'smart' brain particles can drive a man insane…**

**I'm sorry for the later-than-usual update; it's just keep going to get worse. I NEED MY SLEEP! I can't write every night! I'm not allowed to use my computer during the weekday (don't bother giving me suggestions; I've tried everything), and I'm too lazy during the weekend. I'll be working on that.**

**This chapter was meant to fulfill three things:**

**One: How much Ash has matured towards other trainers. Not so much in general; this trainer was just special. He reminded Ash of himself, and so was softer. But I **_**hate **_**it when the anime displays Ash as a whiny (or in some cases, gloating), immature idiot. He deserves better.**

**Two: To warm myself up for all the upcoming Pokémon battles. It was my first one…don'tt hate me please. I needed to get the 'feel' for it.**

**Three: Filler. I hope this chapter explained a few things. I even got all the main character's Pokémon done*! Yes!**

***As of right now, I just realized I have Brock's Pokémon. Maybe another chapter…**

**Final note; Matt was just a character that fulfilled some needs. He might make a reappearance, he might not.**

**Until the next time;**

**Cheers!**


	3. Lab-tastic, Part One!

**Welcome back, ladies and gents, to Hoenn Frontier: Chapter THREE!**

**I'm so sorry for the late update! I have had no time to work on this, and I can't force myself to work on it at night. Otherwise, I fall asleep during class. And that's not good.**

**Anyway, after this, I'm going back to 'Awake' for a bit. I might work on it a little more, though, as I've been thinking of more ideas for that rather than this. But enough talk; let's get back to the story.**

**And an answer to a question: The 'Flash Incident' is going to be a running gag throughout the series. I might make a one-shot about it, but I like to think of it as the way Calvin and Hobbes did 'The Noodle Incident'. If you have no idea what I'm talking about…well, whatever.**

**OH! and one last thing; Team Rocket is NOT going to be in this story! I find them way too cliché, personally. They annoy the crap outta me.**

**Disclaimer: FILE/BlackStarZX/Ownership/Pokémon…Not found.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Lab-tastic, Part One!**

"And over here, you'll see the area where we will battle Ash. It's quite plain, but I've added a few things to make it all the more interesting! Are you following me on this, Ash?" inquired Thomas.

"Uhhhh….." by now, the trainer's eyes had glazed over, his brain off playing in la-la land. They had been walking for a while now. Pikachu was in a similar state of mind.

The facility itself was very impressive; apparently Matt had heard right. The Lab went off into many separate chambers, all underground. But simulators in the windows made it seem that you were still on the top floor. Of course, if you tried to open the window and stick your head out, all you would get is a nice bump on the head.

Up close, the Lab Technician could be seen wearing some gloves, boots, and gray khakis. In his pouch pocket you could see the outline of a blowtorch. Around his neck was a pair of goggles. Although hard to tell at first, Thomas was but a young man; maybe twenty-two years old, at least?

"C'mon, Ash! I haven't even gotten to the good part yet! I promise, we are almost done," a new thought entered the Brain's head, "Oh! I almost forgot! Williams, call Scott and tell him the challenger is here. He will want to see the first battle."

The scientist nodded, then went off to make a phone call. "You see, the entire army of scientists here are adept at following instructions. They are dedicated to learning new things about Pokémon, the Universe, and everything in between! Isn't that absolutely amazing?" Thomas exclaimed.

His brain returning to his head, Ash snapped out of his glazed state, "Thomas, sir?"

"No need to call me sir! We are all fellow trainers here!"

"Well, uh, Thomas, when do we battle?"

"As soon as you are ready! Are you?"

This set Ash off. He had been ready the entire time! What was Thomas talking about? "I have been ready forever now! What are you talking about?" screamed Ash.

"Nah-ah-ah! You don't have the right Pokémon!" chimed Thomas.

"I have all six Pokémon already. What do you mean by that?" Thomas now had Ash's full attention.

"Oh, did I forget? I am sure you are familiar with Frontier Battles being different in their own way. This battle is no exception. As the Lab Technician, I get to choose which Pokémon you use! Then, I have to use the same Pokémon; within that evolution tree, I mean. It really negates the advantage the challenger had in the first place." Thomas said happily.

The group's jaw dropped at these words. Choose his Pokémon? This was going to be insanely hard without the advantage of surprise! Brock spoke up first, noticing something that the others hadn't yet, "You mean, you have that many Pokémon?"

"Precisely! All of them are well-trained, handled with care, and everything in between." the Brain's demeanor suddenly got very serious, as he bent down to meet Ash's eyes, "I have been studying your style for quite some time now, Ash Ketchum. Your style is unorthodox; no pattern at all. This makes the battle even more interesting. Also, I already know which Pokémon I shall battle…" Ash tensed; this scientist was cleverer than he thought.

"Your first Pokémon shall be the Snorlax that currently resides at Prof. Oak's lab."

"WHAT?!" the four companions screamed. Ash didn't have Snorlax on him!

"I realize that you might not have the particular Pokémon on you right now. The steps to your right," he gestured towards a long flight of stairs, "will lead you to the Facility Pokémon Center. There, you can call the Professor and request the Pokémon. But there are still two more…"

Thomas continued, "I wish for your Heracross to be your second Pokémon. Yours seems to be very capable of tough situations, and I wish to test it out for myself."

"Finally, your loyal Bulbasaur shall aid you in battle. Now go, and prepare for your first Frontier Battle. I shall go and wait for Scott until he arrives. Once he is present, we shall begin," without another word, Thomas went back up the stairs. The group was discussing the conditions intently; the choice of a Pokémon was huge in a battle.

* * *

Once at the Pokémon Center, the group contacted the Professor, and proceeded to explain the situation. "This is quite unusual, Ash. I have heard the rumors of the insane Lab Technician, but this battling style is truly unique. I wish you luck in this endeavor, Ash. But now, on to the Pokémon; which three will you turn in?"

"I thought about it, but I was thinking Sceptile and Glalie, since they already have battled. I already have Heracross; but man, I've never done this before. I hope I'm prepared…" the uncertain hero wondered.

"Don't worry about a thing Ash; you have always come out on top, no matter what! And I'm sure May and Max is behind me on this," the siblings nodded to confirm Brock's theory.

The trainer nodded, and proceeded to replace his Pokémon with the requested. In less than a minute, he had the Pokémon he needed. Brock spoke up, "Don't you think it would be a good idea for you to tell your Pokémon about the upcoming battle? I mean, they might be surprised to be up against the same exact Pokémon…"

The logic was clear in Brock's advice. Ash nodded yet again, and pulled out the three Pokémon.

"Bulba!"

"Heracross!"

"Snooooooorrrrreee…"

The group fell down anime-style. Figures Snorlax would be asleep. "Snorlax! I really need your help right now! Could you please wake up? I promise that Brock will feed you some special food for him if you do!"

"C'mon, Snorlax! I promise you, I will reward you greatly if you just get up and listen to me please..." Ash pleaded. Pikachu started yelling at Snorlax to wake up, too.

After much coaxing (yelling, bribing, threatening, etc.), Snorlax woke up. Brock had promised Snorlax some PokeBlocks made from thorns; his favorite food. Snorlax quickly woke up. Ash proceeded to explain the situation.

"Ok guys, today we are up against an extremely clever opponent. He is using a Pokémon of your evolution tree; do not be surprised when you are faced up against another Snorlax or Heracross. Bulbasaur, you might need to go up against a Venasaur…So be prepared. I wish we had time to train you more, but we don't have any. So I just want you to do your very best!" Ash finally concluded.

The Pokémon made their respective roars of approval before Ash recalled them back.

* * *

_Sometime Later_

"Well Ash, I hope you're ready to have an interesting battle! I sure am!" Thomas yelled from across the field. Scott had arrived, and Thomas had immediately called for the battle. Right now, they were standing opposite each other on a large dirt field. The ceiling was big enough for flying-type Pokémon, but neither of them had a flying-type for battle. On the sides, Ash could just barely make out the outline of some panels; he didn't want to know what those were for.

Scott and the rest were on sitting in the stands, with a balcony right above them. Scott seemed to know why they were there, but wouldn't tell the others. Pikachu was being held in Brock's arms for the duration of the battle, as Ash would not be using him.

"Ha! Get ready to give me your symbol, Lab Technician!" he answered back. Ash was still quite the battle enthusiast.

The ref called out his lines, "This shall be a 3-on-3 match between Lab Technician Thomas of the Battle Lab, and Challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. No substitutions are allowed. When two of three Pokémon faint, the match is over. Ready…?" He took a glance at each side, "Begin!"

"Enough chatter," Thomas' voice had become dangerously silky. You could almost hear the mad intelligence in it, "Snorlax, battle for us!"

"Snorlaaaaax!" A very large Snorlax appeared on the field. Ash knew what to do.

"Snorlax, I choose you!" His very own Snorlax appeared on the field. They appeared to be almost the same size. But Thomas had enough tricks up his sleeve, Ash figured. So did him.

"Brains get first move, Ash! Snorlax, go up with a Body Slam!" The Snorlax moved up with surprising speed.

"Quick! Use your own Body Slam! Test his strength!" Ash commanded.

Both Snorlax rushed up and seemed to do an almost hug-like connection. But there was nothing friendly in this hug. Thomas' seemed to be pushing Ash's back, too. Thomas realized his advantage, and gave a wicked grin.

"Snorlax, use Toxic! Full blast!"

While Ash's Snorlax struggled to stay upright, Thomas' breathed out an intoxicating breath from his mouth, and went straight into Ash's Snorlax's nose. "Snorlax, we don't want to be _too_ cruel. Give him some space with a well-placed Strength."

While Ash's was recovering from the Toxic attack, Thomas' struck him backwards many feet – a considerable effort considering how much Snorlax weighed – and fell back down on his back.

"Snorlax!" Ash starts to run up to his pal. This was not going so well; his tank taken out in the first round! Then, miraculously, Snorlax pushes itself up – the only sign of pain being the Strength blow.

"Of course!" Thomas realizes what happened before anyone else, "Your Snorlax has Immunity. What an idiot I am! Of course, that means he doesn't have Thick Fat. Snorlax, Ice Punch!" He rushed forward.

"Oh no you don't! Time to show off some of our _own_ moves! Snorlax, use Rest!"

WHAT?

Snorlax fell asleep quickly, and the other one just came closer and closer…

"Snorlax, Sleep Talk!"

In his sleep, Snorlax started to dreamily wave his hands, both glowing white. Thomas was encouraging his to go faster…

That was when Ash's Snorlax created a strange orange aura around it, and head-butted the other straight in the face.

"Wow! Façade, even when asleep! With the sleep effect, it did even more damage. What an attack!" Brock was the first to realize what happened. Thomas was close behind.

"I have to admit, Ash. That was an impressive gamble," Thomas stated, "But your Snorlax better wake up, as mine is currently attacking with ROLLOUT!" At the end of this word, his Snorlax started rolling faster..and faster…

"Quick, Snorlax! Roll to the side as quickly as you can!" In his panic, Ash forgot one simple thing.

Snorlax was STILL asleep!

The Rollout hit, and didn't stop there. It continued to roll over the sleeping Snorlax, and Ash quickly tried to think of a plan. The Rollout would only become more powerful. "Snorlax, Sleep Talk, one more time!" This would prevent Snorlax from waking up, but any attack was better than nothing.

Snorlax yet again went into his strange ritual until finally…

Wow, talk about lucky break,' thought Ash as a green force field surrounded Snorlax. When the opposing Snorlax hit it, the Snorlax broke his attack. The Protect was very strong, and effectively knocked the rolling Snorlax back. Surprisingly, the Protect stayed strong until Snorlax woke up. He roared in defiance, hurt from the Rollout's but healed from the previous attacks.

"Alright! Snorlax, use Ice Punch!" Nearly fully-rested, Snorlax surged forward before Thomas' could react. The icy attack smashed right into the face, and did quite a bit of damage. But not enough.

"Body Slam, Snorlax!"

"Use Ice Punch again, Snorlax!" Both Pokémon started to close in…

That was when Thomas used his trump card, "Snorlax, stop and use Counter!"

The Snorlax suddenly stopped and grabbed Ash's Snorlax's arm in a tight grip. In one quick, fluid motion, the opposing Snorlax let the Ice Punch slide right through his arm-pit and smacked Ash's Snorlax in the face with a firm punch. Snorlax fell down hard.

"Snorlax! Please get up! I'm counting on you!" Ash yelled desperately. Snorlax merely groaned; he was hungry, tired, and now fighting to stay conscious. If only he had some food….

"Snorlax, if you win this battle, you can eat a full buffet of Brock's best PokeFood!"

"WHAT?!"

That perked Snorlax up. With a grunt from Snorlax (and a groan from Brock, as this meant he would be cooking a lot this evening…), Snorlax stood up. He still had a little left in him.

"Great job, Snorlax! Go up close and use Mega Kick. Now!" Snorlax charged forward, fueled by the determination of the greatest snack he could think of. Thomas' Snorlax wasn't ready to back off yet, however.

"Snorlax, finish him off with Blizzard!" However, Ash's Snorlax came in too quick and smashed Snorlax with a strong kick from Mega Kick.

Ash was very close to yelling out, "Victory!" when Snorlax got up – and sent a flying Blizzard straight into the other already-dazed Snorlax. Needless to say, Ash's Snorlax was frozen immediately.

The ref called it out for everyone to hear, "Snorlax is out of the battle! The winner of round one is Lab Technician Thomas!"

In the stands, Max was not pleased, "HOW COULD ANY POKEMON SURVIVE AN EXTREMELY STRONG ATTACK! IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" he screamed.

The group sweat dropped. Brock tried to explain, "Max, sometimes a Pokémon can withstand enormous amounts of pain and still get right back up. It just depends on the willpower of the Pokémon. Apparently, Thomas' Snorlax had a ton of willpower."

Scott nodded in agreement, "Thomas is known for the physical sturdiness of all his Pokémon. His Snorlax is especially strong. Although I'm surprised to see that Ash lost, I can understand against Thomas."

Max sat down, obviously in shock by the recent display of resistance, "Still shouldn't happen…"

Back on the field, Thomas was heartened to see Ash give his Snorlax a word of comfort and returned him, "Great job Snorlax. You can still have your buffet, pal."

Thomas called out, "It's great to see that you are still happy with your Pokémon, even if it did lose."

"Snorlax did a great job; who wouldn't be? I'm very pleased with my pal. Your Snorlax is immensely strong to survive so many blows," Ash set his face back into a determined scowl, "Now, Heracross! I choose you!" With a burst of light, Heracross entered the field, wings battering fiercely.

"Now I shall return my own Snorlax," with those words, the other exhausted Snorlax was returned, "Battle for us, Heracross!" A second Heracross appeared. When it realized who her opponent was, she smirked. This made Ash's mad.

The two Heracross continued to glare at each other, until the referee called out, "Begin!"

"Heracross, go in close with Close Combat!" Thomas started out strong.

"Oh yeah? Well Heracross, let's repeat history. Close Combat!" the Heracross surged forward.

The two bug/fighting-type Pokémon were immediately at it, performing an amazing feat of hit-and-dodge. Neither could seem to land a hit, though, and both continued to go at it…

_In PokeLanguage…_

_(__**A/N**__[Hera will be Thomas', and Cross will be Ash's, just so I won't have to continue naming them each time…])_

Hera was having a tough time. The other Heracross, who had stated to be Cross, was a more-than-worthy opponent. He had obviously been trained well.

Cross was not faring too well either. This other Heracross, who had called herself Hera, had openly taunted him and then proceeded to do a sloppy right-handed uppercut. This made Cross think that she had expected a quick victory. Cross was **NOT **going to be put down this easily!

Sure, the other Heracross was pretty…but on the battlefield, it didn't matter if you were a guy your opponent was a gal. You were enemies on the field, a battle of wills between the two genders. If one was told to use Attract, it was considered 'chicken' to use your feminine-es (or sometimes, masculine-es) to out-play your enemy. Hera was thinking about using Attract, but decided against it. This Heracross might turn out to be an interesting battle, and she didn't want to spoil it with a stupid status move.

Left and right they danced, up and down they flew, the two Heracross' were in deep combat. Neither were fighting for the trainer any more. They were fighting for their pride.

"You fight well…for a wanderer…" Hera managed to get out, while going for a double-kick to the abdomen.

"What's…that supposed…to mean…" Neither of them wanted to lose focus, so talking was brief and curt.

"Meaning that I've…never faced a…Heracross…with your skill!" Hera almost yelled it, and her voice slightly cracked at the high pitch. She kicked towards his face, and he simply backed up.

Cross noticed that and smirked, "My my, isn't someone…a little…angry" he grunted. He faked a shot to the abdomen and made the first successful hit in the fight – a right-hook to the cheek.

This made Hera mad, very very mad, and did a low sweep towards the legs. Cross merely jumped over it and sent a downwards punch on the horn. This gave him a full moment to talk, "Looks as if I'm the better fighter! Haha!" He raised his arms in mock triumph, knowing full well he hadn't won yet. Cross heard his trainer give him a word of congratulations.

"Heracross, use Leer!" Cross heard the command, and started staring down Hera.

"Heracross, close your eyes and wait." Thomas stated simply, which Hera proceeded to do.

Hera was worried, but whatsoever trusted her trainer. That Leer had a mean glean in its eyes, something she did not want to see. Hera closed her eyes and stood there, out in the open for anyone to attack.

Cross decided that enough was enough, and stopped his Leer attack. This was an interesting predicament in front of him. He knew first-hand how the reaction time of Heracross could be, and attacking now could be equally bad for him.

However, Ash had suddenly commanded to charge a Hyper Beam in his horn, and fire whenever he wanted. Cross powered up the incredible attack, and held it, held it, held…it…

"Heracross, Aerial Ace!" Crap.

The female Heracross suddenly opened her eyes and went in with a blinding speed. Cross has good reaction time, but Aerial Ace almost never misses its target. The super-effective attack hit Cross straight on the cheek, and he staggered backwards. Cross was not out of it yet; he still had a Hyper Beam on the tip of his horn.

Quickly getting up from the attack, Heracross aimed and fired. The powerful attack hit Hera straight on, and knocked her back into the wall.

_No more PokeLanguage…_

"Heracross is out of the battle. The winner of round two is Challenger Ash Ketchum!" The ref called out. Ash gave a little "Yeah!" for victory, and Heracross merely raised his arms in triumph. Only real this time.

Brock, May and Max were also cheering on Heracross. But Brock quickly reminded them that now it was up to Bulbasaur – and he might have to go against a Venasaur.

"Great job, Heracross," Thomas stated, as he returned his fainted bug/fighting Pokémon, "We underestimated your ability, Ash. But it won't happen again…"

Ash was also returning his Heracross, "Yours put up a great fight. I'm honored to battle someone with your skill."

That same, silky smile appeared back on Thomas' lips, "We shall see who the winner is _this _round Ash. And I tell you…Ivysaur is no pushover! Ivysaur, fight for us!"

A somewhat large Ivysaur appeared on the battleground, and roared in defiance.

This surprised Ash. He had been expecting a Venasaur, at least "Why hasn't yours evolved?"

Thomas merely shrugged, "Didn't want to become a hulking beast. Wanted to stay an Ivysaur, and evolve when the time is right. But the same question could be asked about your Bulbasaur, hmmm Ash?"

Ash decided to stop talking and sent out his Bulbasaur with his regular words. "Bulbasaur!" The little fellow cried out. Ash had faith that his Bulbasaur could win it.

The ref looked at both sides, and shouted, "Beg-"

Until Thomas interrupted him.

"Hold on now! Ash, let's make things more interesting, alright? Williams, give us a torrent."

No one had been expecting this. Suddenly, the panels on the wall slid back and about six tesla coils slid out, three on each side. They started to spark up, until each one was tinged with a bluish light. If that wasn't weird enough, then the next part was; clouds, very, very low clouds, started to form on the ceiling. Thunder crackled inside. Rain, buckets of little drops, started to fall.

The group was baffled! Here they were, underground, and a storm had started to fall. Now they were all glad for the balcony above them.

Scott took this time to explain, "Thomas' laboratory is an extremely interesting place. Maybe afterwards, you can stay awhile. There are lots of strange and bizarre creations. When Thomas ordered this weather machine, he also told the construction workers to do a few other things. Maybe you'll get to see them later in the match, hm?"

"You see, Ash!" Thomas had to yell for his voice to be heard as a torrent of rain started to come down, soaking everyone in the field, but not the stands, "We have a miniature weather device in here! So, this calls for a much more interesting battle!" He nodded to the ref, who had also gotten himself soaked.

"Ready? Begin!" he called out.

"Bulbasaur, start this off with a Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur sent out many razor-sharp leaves, which proceeded to hit Ivysaur before Thomas could react.

"Very good, Ash! A nice, quick attack to start things off! But it won't be enough, especially with another grass-type! Ivysaur, send your vines into the clouds!" Thomas yelled out.

The Ivysaur shot at two vines right towards the ceiling. As it went into the artificial clouds, thunder shook the room. Unexpectedly, lightning started running down the vines and hit Ivysaur!

But that wasn't the surprise; the surprise came in the form that Ivysaur merely shrugged off the damage and flung the electric vines towards Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, quick, dodge it!" Ash yelled desperately. Bulbasaur managed to duck underneath the vine – but the static discharge painfully burned his bulb, causing him to wince.

"As you can see, Ash, Ivysaur is prepared for the worst. So I suggest you come up with something quick, as electric Vine Whips are only half of it. Ivysaur, Sludge Bomb!"

"Don't let them hit you, Bulbasaur!"

Bulbasaur started taking up a fancy pattern of jumps-and-dodges. If a Sludge Bomb hit him, he was going to be in a bad spot. Soon after, Ash spoke up, "Bulbasaur, try out your Dig!"

Bulbasaur, desperate to get out of this situation, dug himself straight into the ground. This caused Thomas to actually worry for once; none of his attacks would do much damage now.

"Ivysaur, make your vines act as feelers. Send them underground after him.

Ivysaur sent his now de-electrified vines into the tunnel Bulbasaur dug. But he was stopped cold as Bulbasaur dragged him under.

"Great job Bulbasaur! Now tear him up down there!"

"Don't let the darkness unnerve you, Ivysaur! Fight back!"

You could feel the power of the two Bulba-lutions under the ground. However, it seemed that you would hear Ivysaur cry out in pain more than Bulbasaur. Then Ash noticed how rain was getting inside the tunnel…

It was going to flood. "Bulbasaur, get out of there!"

Bulbasaur immediately popped out of the tunnel. Ivysaur was nowhere to be seen, but you could still hear him. "Ash, tell Bulbasaur to drag Ivysaur outside with his Vine Whip! No Pokémon deserves drowning in a dark place!" Thomas pleaded Ash desperately.

Ash nodded, and repeated the command to Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur sent his lengthy vines into the hole, and dragged the weary body of Ivysaur out. No one wanted to know how frightening it must have been.

"You ok, Ivysaur?" Thomas yelled out. The thunder and lightning were still booming.

Ivysaur nodded and shook his head. Of course he was ready! A little drowning wouldn't hold him back. "Good, because it's time to use some physical force. Take Down!" Ivysaur bolted forward.

From that little tunnel incident, Ash had gotten an idea. The water was draining through the very slightly slanted floor, into a draining system. No doubt being recycled over and over again. But what if Ash could use all these factors together…

"Bulbasaur, dodge his Take Down and continue to dig small indents in the ground. Try to make as many as possible before getting hit!" Bulbasaur heard these words and winced, knowing Ash meant for him to get him by a Take Down sooner or later. But he could try and dodge them for as long as possible.

After the first Take Down missed, Bulbasaur dug his paws (claws?) into the ground and made a small circle. Not deep enough to notice the indent, but enough so water wouldn't escape it unless overflowing. No sooner did he finish, another Take Down came his way. Bulbasaur moved on to avoid being hit, then started another hole.

As this little dodge-and-dig continued to go on, Thomas was processing this information. He wasn't called the Lab Technician for nothing; he knew something was up. But he couldn't piece it together! It was like trying to make a puzzle without the edges first! Ash was known for his unorthodox strategies, but this was plain weird.

Thomas decided to change this up, "Ivysaur, use your electrical Vine Whip again! Hit him hard!" At this, Ivysaur jumped up so his vines could reach the ceiling.

By now, Bulbasaur had nearly covered the entire field with holes. Wherever he stood, there was a small _'splash!' _from the water underneath him. Bulbasaur still had no idea how this strategy was going to work. However, Bulbasaur trusted his trainer, and Ash trusted him.

"You can stop now, Bulbasaur. Now prepare a Razor Leaf and aim it towards the clouds. Wait until I say go." Bulbasaur heard the command and willed up many small leaves.

"Now, Ivysaur! Launch your Vine Whip!"

Ivysaur splashed on the ground, and reared back his vines.

"Launch them, Bulbasaur! Into the clouds and straight towards Ivysaur's feet!" The Razor Leaf went off immediately, and disappeared in the clouds. Thunder was heard.

Thomas knew what was about to happen, and his eyes widened at the impact that would come, "**NO!**" How had he been so stupid! The facts had been right in front of him the entire time!

The now-electrically charged Razor Leaves hit Ivysaur and the water, shocking him thoroughly. The pain, oh what pain! "Ivyyyyyyyy!" Ivysaur cried out. He slumped down in exhaustion. The red was about to call the match, when Thomas stopped him for the second time.

"If there was any a time to do it, it is now Ivysaur! I wish for this battle to become twice as interesting, so for the sake of the battle, please!" No one had understood Thomas' pleading words.

But Ivysaur did. He knew that this Bulbasaur and his trainer had outsmarted him. Sure, there was always a rematch…but there would always be the fact that this Bulbasaur had beaten him. Now was indeed the time.

Everyone was watching as Ivysaur glowed a brilliant white, and gasped as Ivysaur grew larger, much larger than before. Lightning flashed, blinding everyone's vision. When it came to…

"VENASAAUUUR!" The large and now energized Venasaur stood, rain dropping down its back, lighting causing shadows to twist around its face. He had never really cared about evolving – but his trainer was desperate for the best battle he could ever have, and Ivysaur…no, Venasaur had obliged.

"Ash, the late Ivysaur could've evolved whenever he wanted to. But instead, he chose to stay an Ivysaur. But he always knew that if the time would come, he would evolve. I applaud you, Ash Ketchum, for making this a great battle!"

The rain was falling hard. Deadly thunder flashed overhead, making another set of shadows go out of whack. Ash could almost hear Bulbasaur's heavy breathing. In front of them was a Venasaur, ready to prove his dominance over the smaller kin.

Situations like these are what define the greater challengers to the lesser ones.

* * *

**Didn't THIS take a while to write out!**

**I hope you like Lab Technician Thomas. He's based off a great friend of mine and a few other ideas in my head. Because of multiple other things in my life, this chapter took a much longer time to come out then I thought. Three weeks! And I had said one!**

**Basically, I would be playing Sims right now if I didn't have this obligation. But I always finish what I start. This story shall be no exception.**

**Now for some explanations…**

**About the Sleep Talk thing: I believe Sleep Talk is rather like Metronome. They may not know the attack, but they can still use it.**

**About the Hercross Battle thing: I thought it to be interesting for the Heracross to have a miniature conversation in the battle. Don't hate me please, for it was only to keep the battle interesting.**

**About the Venasaur thing: The idea that the Bulba-lutions require a ritual to evolve? That's Tauros crap! They evolve just fine without that stuff.**

**Well, that's it for now. Please read, review, and enjoy for the time being. Please give me constructive critisicm, as I am still a novice. Remember to check out 'Awake', as I'm currently writing for the next chapter of **_**that**_** story too!**

**Cheers!**


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